FORGOTTEN MEN

Grey River Argus, 5 August 1940, Page 7

FORGOTTEN MEN

[To The Editor]

Sir,—ln nearly every account of the lives and conditions of people who engage in the search for gold, one theme predominantly recurs, namely, that while a few bask in sunshine in the lap of fate, the great majority needs must eke out a miserable existence under sordid conditions and face privations unknown to their counterparts in other spheres of life. For the past two years, despite the fact that the Labour Government is everlastingly eulogising its own activities in the direction of social advancement and improvement in general conditions of workers engaged in industries in this country, we find that those employed in the gold industry are still in the same unenviable position as that occupied by their predecessors, at the bottom of the ladder, where working conditions are concerned. For some reason, definitely not on account of the market value of the commodity, while all other industries have been enjoying a shortened working week, the dredge-worker has had■ to carry on on the 48 hour week. Either this must be a protected industry, or the officials of the Union are peacefully asleep, for on top of this departure from the party policy, the Government grants the employers permits to work men on Sunday also. With the appetite for moneymaking keenly whetted by six days of twenty-four hours, the employers do not fail to extract every ounce from the men on Sundays; and, not satisfied with an eight-hour-day, expect men to do anything from ten to sixteen hours. In fact, twenty-four hours of continuous work have frequently occurred. To add further to the worker’s disadvantage, he is not compensated for any overtime he does on Sunday over the 8 hours, but merely continues to receive his usual

Sunday rate, which is the lowest in New Zealand.

On most dredges, the shifts are so arranged that the men on night shift on Saturday return to work at eight o’clock on Sunday, and begin, their day shift at eight’ a.m. on Monday, so we find that if they have a six-teen-hour shift oh Sunday, which is quite a common occurrence, for the 48 hours run from 4 p.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Monday they have toiled _32 hours, with only 16 off. Scientists say gold is indestructable, and it appears that the men must be the same; but, from a socialist point of view, this industry must be regarded as a veritable volcano; for not only does the dredge-workers’ award contain a clause whereby men may be worked for any number of hours continuously at the ordinary flat rate, but tlsey are also one of the few sections who are not paid for the statutory holidays. In fact, most dredges work twentyfour hours on these days, the same as usual, so that for every hour of every day, thousands of yards of dirt, each containing z known value of the priceless ore, are turned to the profit of the shareholders, at the direct expense of the workers’ conditions. The dredging companies claim, and justifiably, too, that they have prospecting down to such a fine art that they can, with reasonable accuracy, compute the value of every yard of dirt to be treated; and one can assume that they do not worls areas not calculated to make a nice profit for themselves; yet, with an assured market for their commodity, they Toward the toiler with a meagre two and fourpence per hour.

Far from being recompensed for serving six days a week and more often seven, the dredge-worker is placed on what is possibly the lowest industrial hourly rate in the country. Surely one is expected to work only to live, not to live only to work. At a time like the present, when every ounce of gold is of definite value to the country, it is surprising that some official inquiry is not made into the conditions applying to this industry;

for it seems incredible that the men involved will allow, for ever, themselves to be made the pawns of international financiers.

It is possible that the men know nothing of the present emergency conditions, for to talk to them of a war effort is merely a joke. For the past few years the wheels of industry have been kept turning for twentyfour hours a day, with repairs on Sundays, and the worker finds himself in the unenviable predicament of not having a spare hour in which to boost his output to assist the national call. Now is the time for official action, for the dredge-workers’ award has lately expired, and with their contemporaries ’in other walks of life receiving plaudits from the Government for their extra effort, surely the members of this section are not to go again unacknowledged? Put this ■industry on the forty-hour week level of the others, and there is no doubt that their national effort will be unsurpassed. I am, etc., “TAILINGS.”